Tip of the Week: How to Use Reference Data for Small Business Apps

This week we’re featuring Canvas’s Reference Data feature. It’s one of the most dynamic and powerful aspects of our solution, yet it’s often overlooked. Let’s take a look at how you can enhance your GoCanvas apps dramatically with this one feature.

Reference Data allows you to link your GoCanvas app to a spreadsheet of information. The most popular uses of reference data among GoCanvas subscribers are uploading customer lists, material lists and part lists. You could hard code the app. The advantage of uploading this information through reference data is that you can more easily modify the data in your list when it’s set up as reference data; simply upload a new version of you’re spreadsheet.

There are many uses for it but the two main ones are:

1. Populate a Value List (Drop-Down)

If you have a long list of parts or customers and you do not want to hand-enter them into the GoCanvas App Builder Value List field, you can reference a file that you upload with the data on it.

2. Auto-Populate Fields

If you want to auto-populate a field based on a value you enter or choose in a previous field then you can use this feature. So if you choose a "part" from a price list you can then have the price of that part auto-populate within your GoCanvas app.

The possibilities for using reference data truly are endless. I encourage you to watch the video below and try your hand at setting it up. If you have questions feel free to contact us!